October News Briefs

The James K. Polk Masonic Lodge 759 will host its annual breakfast fundraiser and American Red Cross blood drive Oct. 26, a Saturday, at the lodge.

The all-you-can-eat breakfast will include pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy and seasonal fruit, as well as orange juice, coffee and tea. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $5 for children. All proceeds from the breakfast will go to support the Oxford Home for Children, the lodge’s scholarship fund and to help fund local charities.

The lodge also will host a blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross and hopes to have at least 25 donors.

The event will run from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the lodge, 900 Hill St. Volunteers do not have to give blood in order to eat breakfast or vise versa. Contact Master John Keiter at 704-942-4797, Dave Adams at 704-813-7025 or Brent Wilson at 704-968-7594 for more information or to make an appointment for the blood drive.

I-485 paving begins, some lane closures coming

Crews have started paving the new lanes of Interstate 485 near Pineville as the North Carolina Department of Transportation continues widening the congested section of highway between Interstate 77 and Ballantyne.

An additional lane in both directions is being added between I-77 and Ballantyne, and the lanes should open for traffic in late 2014. Brady McKenzie, a traffic engineer for the state, said crews should be able to pave all the way down to Johnston Road by December if the weather complies. Drivers also will see some lane closures around Johnston Road in the next few weeks, as crews place a barrier on the right shoulder from Johnston to McMullen Creek in November to start work on an auxiliary lane that will stretch from Johnston Road to N.C. 51 on the inner loop. There also will be lane closures on the inner and outer loop between Johnston and Rea Road in November.

The highway may be shut down completely for 30-minute periods between midnight and 5 a.m. in December as crews place girders for the Johnston Road flyover.

ASC names new board members

The Arts & Science Council of Charlotte, which helps direct and support many arts programs and organizations in the region, recently made changes to its board of directors.

Karl Newlin of Piedmont Natural Gas is the new chairman of the board, which recently welcomed new members Kristy Detwiler, director of Pineville Parks and Recreation, Charity Bell, Tim Brookshire, Karen Eady-Williams, William Farthing, Marc Gustafson, William Hawkins and Russell Hughes.

“These new board members have impressive credentials, but more impressive is their commitment to serve the cultural sector,” Newlin said in a news release. “Their professional backgrounds and expertise will allow each of them to make meaningful contributions to the ASC Board of Directors and the cultural community in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.”